Across China: Hubei

Black lung disease, a killer

Pneumoconiosis, also known as black lung disease, claimed 4,834 lives in central China's Hubei province between 2000 and 2008, a local health official told the Chutian Metropolis Daily.

The disease, caused by inhaling metallic or mineral particles or gas, could lead to a limitation of air flow to and from the lungs, causing shortness of breath. The condition is normally irreversible and usually gets worse over time.